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<br />~-JjrtP"""6"g24Rl-'1",;@' .~_ <br />oj ~4n <br /> <br />. .~ <br /> <br />,. -~ ,,'~ u'~_"';;-~'_;" '" <br /> <br />p, 0, <br /> <br />", " <br /> <br />nutrit.luoal st.at.us of the rlpi'l.rl;1r'l habitat, which Is directly related to the <br />productivity of the vcgoet.at..i.on (Nil.sson 19811). <br /> <br />N'ilsson's observatlon.:s suggest that reduceu [innual strearnflows w!ll cause ne.., <br />rlpada.r1 habltat.-5 to be e.::ltablished. The new hab! tac.s will be reducod and <br />POssibly located on different substrates than before. F'or example, a higher <br />proportion of fIne sedlmenL$ is present on the uppermost terraces or <br />streanbanks. !his soil medium will support a different. riparian communIty than <br />the soil medIum closer to the main stream channel, h'hich will be composed of <br />coarser naterlals. Vegetation will become established on the new habitats, but <br />because of the dIfferent environl:lent and reduced area, competitIon intensity <br />will inorease, resulting In different community Inter- and intrarelationsh!ps. <br />The net effect w111 be a reductionin abundance. and possibly eYen Jeopardize <br />their survival. <br /> <br />€astern ~~lorado <br /> <br />An aerial photography analysts or the status and trend of vegetation within <br />riparian habitats was conducted on the South Platte and Arkansas Rivers of <br />eastern Colorado. It wa~ determinej that diversions along these rivers <br />contributed to a llIdan loss of cottonwood stands during a 31-,ear interval <br />(Snyder and Hiller 1991). All size classes decreased alor.g both rivers, <br />although the changes along the South Platte River were not statistically <br />signi fLcant. Changes in cottonwood stand densi ty were also evident. both <br />stat1 stlcally sign! ficant ar.d nOrl-sier.ificant. <br /> <br />Snyder and Miller conclude that "the data clearly indicate ther'e is reason for <br />concern, especially along the lOwer Arkansas Rlv~r. There, degradation has <br />occu.rrej to the extent t.hat fe'.l stands of cottonwOOds renain in the lower <br />sectIon of thE- r!'/er," <br />